


Why Don’t You Dance?

by Icypearls



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 22:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16027157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icypearls/pseuds/Icypearls
Summary: Steven has a question for Pearl





	Why Don’t You Dance?

A cool breeze was coming in from the ocean. Connie was due to be here in a few minutes, and then they could go and have fun, but for just a minute, Steven was taking a break. The gulls were calling to each other outside, the waves were crashing, and Pearl was humming as she cleaned.

There was something different about her. Maybe it was that she felt lighter, more free, since she had finally told him the truth about his mom, but then he pushed that idea aside. Not that it wasn’t true, but that it wasn’t what had changed. 

She turned from the sink, where she had just washed the last dish, to the counter, and that’s when it hit him. 

She wasn’t dancing anymore. 

She used to always dance. A twirl here, a tiny hop there, as if she was just wafting through the air. Now her movements were - well, they weren’t less graceful or elegant. They were just. Different. They didn’t have that same quality anymore. 

After the counter had passed her inspection, she looked over at Steven. “Is everything okay?”

He hummed a yes. Then he took a deep breath. “Hey Pearl, why don’t you dance anymore?”

She froze. It wasn’t long - maybe just half a second - but it was there. Steven was learning to look for those little signs in everyone more and more. It you pieced it all together, it was really rather telling. 

“Do - Do you want me to dance?” Her voice sounded strange. Not that he had long to think about it. “Would you like me to teach you?” There, that was the Pearl he knew and loved. 

“No, no, nothing like that.” He paused. “Well, maybe later. I still remember the last time I tried to learn.” He chuckled a little and rubbed the back of his neck. Then, remembering his initial question, shook his head to focus. “It’s just that you used to dance all the time! And now you don’t really ever dance. It’s just...something I noticed. It isn’t important.”

Pearl laced her fingers together and squeezed her hands. “It...it’s a little complicated, Steven. I - It’s -“

“It’s okay, Pearl. You don’t have to tell me.” The question clearly made her uncomfortable. 

“No, no! I want to answer. I just need to -“ She took a deep breath and sighed. “Out of everyone, Steven, you deserve to know.” She sat on the couch beside him. “You see, Pearls on Homeworld are...are a low class. We are nothing but pretty baubles, meant to entertain and do our owners bidding.” She swallowed. “A large portion of what I would do for Pink and -“ She cleared her throat. “I danced a lot. I sang a lot. Whatever made her happy, I did.”

She stood and started pacing. “Once your mother and I got...closer, it changed, of course. But still, what I’m for is ingrained. It had been hard moving past that, and I guess that’s part of it.” Now her back was to him. “I don’t need to dance to be important.” She stopped there, shoulders hunched as if waiting for a reprimand.

When Steven wrapped his arms around her, she flinched, but then she placed her hands on his. “You’ve helped me discover that.” She turned and smiled down at him. “You and this planet and...” she took a deep breath. “Now I know I have worth by just being myself.”


End file.
